LUCIAN The man understood exactly what I meant. But before he could take a step, a sharp ring of laughter sliced through the air, halting us both. I turned and there was Darius with a crooked grin stretched across his face."Such a mouth on a calm Alpha," he said, mockingly.I ignored him and turned back to the scout. "Make sure he’s…""No."This time, I turned my whole body to face him. He was staring directly at me, that irritating grin still plastered across his face."What?" I asked."You’re not chasing me off, Lucian. I heard what he said. Killian and Rowan?" He let out a chuckle, spreading his hands a little as if the idea amused him deeply. "My, my… what did they do? Get into a little spat over Aria?"My jaw tightened.He took a step closer. "Now that’s a fight I never expected. Over an omega, no less." He gave a low, mocking whistle.I stared at him—really looked. And in that moment, I saw it clearly. The glee in his eyes wasn’t just amusement. It was something wild. He didn’
DARIUS“After you, gentlemen,” I said, stepping through the gate with all the venom I could muster. Fucking bastard. My men followed behind me, some grinning, some licking their lips like they were already picking out who to fuck first.“Pretty little pack… wonder if their bitches are as soft as the grass.” Lip spat after throwing a lewd glare at the mam closer to him.I snorted.“Bet they cry when they’re fucked. I love the criers.”Lucian ignored them. Didn’t glare. Didn’t even glance. And that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was the fact that he treated them like flies. He indirectly told me that I wasn't worthy to be an Alpha in his presence. That pissed me off for some reason.“Hey, idiot! I hope we get a redhead—I haven’t broken one of those in weeks.”“Shut it!” I snapped without turning. “All of you.”They fell quiet immediately, surprised. No, I wasn't angry at their words. I was angry that Lucian didn’t even react to them. He was supposed to snarl. Shout. Show som
ARIAOr worse—what if this was a coordinated plan between the three of them to destroy the Bloodfang Pack?I grabbed Aaron’s hand.“Take me to them.”---#Darius’s POVThe sun hadn’t fully climbed yet, and the mist still kissed the earth like the place was trying to look holy. How fucking annoying. It didn’t suit the Bloodfang Pack. Too soft. Too clean. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were trying to play innocent. Well, their Alpha was. We were closer now—marching in like wolves on a red carpet. I told my boys to dress well, and they did—smelling like ass and peaches. Fortunately, they added quietness to the show. It was a good omen… that sharp, eerie quiet that comes before a real mess. Their earlier laughter had been replaced by swagger. You could hear their cockiness and arrogance in their boots.Crazy fuckers. I didn’t exactly tell them they were heading into a lion’s den while hoping the lion was asleep.“Alpha,” Ry muttered beside me, his gaze flicking forward. “There it i
ARIAHe hid it well, but it was there—thrumming just beneath the surface. “Alright,” he said at last. “I won’t.”I swallowed hard. He said he wouldn't. The silence between us stretched for so long, I started to wonder if he was even still breathing. I glanced at him. His left eye twitched. Was that anger I sense? Shit. I looked away, focusing on the IV needle in my arm.“No matter how much kindness you’re showing me now, I’ll never accept you, Rowan Frostbite.” I wasn't going to formally reject him either. I was going to wait until they were complete. That was the rule. “You let Darius humiliate me. You stood there and watched it happen. You didn’t defend me. And then, you prepared to demote me. Your mate. Your own mate.” My voice cracked. “I can’t be with a man who doesn’t want me for who I am.”Rowan exhaled slowly, his eyes locked on some distant spot on the wall. He looked… tired. Not physically, but in that soul deep kind of way. “I ran for days to get here,” he murmured. “I push
ARIAMy body was lifted, pain screaming through every nerve as I was carried down the stairs. I was fading in and out… hospital lights flashed behind my lids as the blackness pulled me under again.____________It was the quiet hum of the hospital machines that woke me. That and a blinding headache drilling my temples.I blinked, squinting at the ceiling. Where the hell was I? Everything rushed back. Killian. His words. His fists. The window. Rowan. Something warm brushed against the back of my hand. My gaze drifted sideways and I made out Aaron's figure. His brows were furrowed, arms crossed over his chest like he’d been keeping watch all night. His eyes met mine briefly before he looked away. I tried to speak, but my throat felt like sandpaper. My limbs…goddess, they ached like I’d been trampled by a rogue pack. Everything hurt. I let out the faintest breath, but even that felt like dragging lead.“She’s awake,” Aaron muttered, but he wasn’t talking to me. “She needs to be transferr
ARIAFrom the corner of my eye, I could see the lady just standing there, watching with venom simmering in her gaze. If only I knew how to make her move… She’d tear this idiot to shreds.“You called me a whore,” I said.“Because you are one,” he spat. “Did you think I came here just to play house? Do you even understand why we all agreed to stay in this fucking pack?” He asked like I had the answer to why he was even born in the first place.I licked my bloody lips, tasting the sharp tang of metal. “Well, for starters, you came to escape. You were looking for a release from the suffocating air in your own pack. You used me as your excuse. And maybe, yeah, I still want to use you. But I won’t let myself be used. Not anymore. Above all, you’re a daddy’s boy, Killian. And I don’t fuck daddy’s boys.”Wrong move. I didn't see it coming. The toe of his shoe caught my ribs and I doubled over, gasping. I sucked in my lower lips, abusing the shit out of it as I clutched my side.I didn’t even
LUCIAN “But for now,” she said, clearing her throat. That must’ve taken a lot for her to admit. “I need your protection.”What the… My eyes widened slightly. “Protection?”She gave a single nod. “From Darius. You mentioned him just now. And I know he’s close. I can smell your people nearby—waiting for him, or something.”My brows furrowed. “What?” How did she even know that?Aria tilted her head and sniffed the air like some wild creature. Then she smiled faintly—like a revelation had just clicked into place. “I feel strangely comforted.”Those words scared me more than anything else.There was something I should’ve made clear to Aria: though she may not trust me, I trusted her. I didn’t tell her how much her presence meant to me, or how it gave me strength to face Darius. Whoever sent her here had been kind enough to think of my feelings.One day, I’d tell her everything.Just one day.___________________#Aria’s POVBoth my day and night had been shitty. Lucian just confirmed I was
LUCIAN I said it quietly, my thumb grazing her cheek a second longer than it should have. “I will never share you.”Her lips parted slightly, confused. “What?”“Not with Killian. Not with Rowan. And definitely not with Darius.”“Lucian…” she breathed, uncertain.I didn’t back down. “You’re my mate,” I said with quiet finality. “Chosen or not by the moon goddess, the bond chose us. And I don’t care what it looks like from your end—I feel it. My wolf feels it. And I’ll fight whoever I have to, just to keep you close.”She shook her head slowly, like she was trying to piece it all together. “You talk like I’m something to own. Like I don’t get a say.”My jaw tightened. “You do. You always have a say. But don’t expect me to sit back while three other males circle around what I love.”She licked her lips, and I hated the way doubt crept into her eyes for fear of this… whatever this was between us. It was something that should never happen and something neither of us really knew how to han
LUCIAN “Lucian, are you…okay?” Aria’s voice caught me off guard.I glanced toward the bushes again where my men were hidden, lying in wait for Darius. Even though it had been a false alarm earlier, I’d instructed them to remain on high alert. Darius was unpredictable—a bastard who could infiltrate my pack at any moment. Right now, they were taking shifts, watching, waiting in the dark. That’s what I’d been focused on—the subtle movement of the leaves, the soft rustle to my right… and then my left.That’s why I was here.The real mystery was how Aria even knew where to find me. She’d said someone strange pulled her here, but I suspected something deeper. Just yesterday, I realized her wolf wasn’t gone—it had been dominant and suppressed all this time.Now, that wolf was getting restless, no longer willing to stay silent. I shook my head. Aria was slowly coming into herself, but the traits she was showing…they weren’t omega-like. They were signs of leadership—strong, unyielding.I sigh